Parent
Guide 2016
Information about the
UCAS undergraduate
application process
Contents
Ambition is...
making
projections
for the next
blockbuster.
TIP: Register for our
monthly parents’ e-newsletter – it’s
free and will remind you about the key
things your son or daughter needs to
do throughout the application process.
www.ucas.com/parentform
3
What is UCAS?
4
Dates you need to know
6
January 2015
Thinking about their future
8
March to May 2015
Research, research, research
9
June to September 2015
Filling in their UCAS application
10
When to apply
11
Starting work on their
personal statement
12
January to March 2016
The training to be an ICAEW
Chartered Accountant has
provided me with both business
skills and integrity, which is
extremely valuable in the
creative and media sector.
Once we get their application
13
February to May 2016
Replying to offers
15
Extra opens
16
June to August 2016
Preparing for results
Chris Hainsworth, ICAEW Chartered Accountant,
Managing Director, AV Pictures
19
July to August 2016
Achieve more as a chartered accountant
across a range of diverse and exciting roles.
icaew.com/parents
NO ORDINARY CAREER
Why higher education?
icaew.com
Exam results
20
Clearing and Adjustment
21
Student finance
22
Considering music,
dance or drama?
24
Considering teaching?
25
Getting help online
26
Why students love learning
27
A handy checklist
28
1
Why higher education?
Making the decision about going to university
involves all the family, so it’s important that
everyone, including parents, guardians, foster
parents and grandparents, know about the
benefits.
While your son or daughter is at university
they’ll have the opportunity to:
• s tudy a subject that they are
passionate about
• a
chieve a qualification that will lead
to their chosen career
• learn to be an independent thinker for
all aspects and challenges of life
• d
evelop important skills that will widen
their prospects
• b
ecome more independent and
self-confident
• make lifelong friends
Once they have their degree, your son
or daughter will have:
• t he opportunity to follow their career path
About the Parent Guide
• b
etter job prospects
• h
igher earning potential
This guide is for anyone supporting a young
person applying to study at university or college in
autumn 2016. It covers the key stages of the UCAS
undergraduate application process. If you have any
questions there are several ways for you to get in
touch: www.ucas.com/contactus
Ultimately, going to university will equip
your son or daughter with skills and
experiences they can use in their career
and in their personal life.
2
3
What is UCAS?
UCAS is the organisation that processes
applications to study full-time courses at
universities and colleges in the UK. However
we don’t just process applications; our aim is to
help students make informed choices that are
right for them, by guiding them through the
entire higher education application process. To
support this, we provide a wide range of valuable
information and supporting services for young
learners, applicants and their parents.
Using our website, www.ucas.com, your son or
daughter will be able to find out more about how
to get started, research course options, make their
application and track the progress of their course
choices. There’s information especially for parents
and guardians at www.ucas.com/parents,
including details about the application process
and lots of helpful video guides.
UCAS terms explained
There are quite a few terms that we and
the universities use that you may not be
familiar with. Go to www.ucas.com/ucasterms-explained for more information.
Go beyond with Middlesex University
With a practice-led approach, our teaching
is designed to enhance your son or
daughter’s employability. We help them
develop into a fully rounded individual,
foster their academic achievement and
prepare them for a successful career.
Industry links and work experience
Through our specialist courses and
impressive industry networks, we offer
numerous avenues for gaining professional
experience, including placements,
internships and volunteering opportunities.
Employability Service
To complement our industry-aligned
courses, our team of employability
advisers are available from the moment
your son or daughter arrives.
Networking events and
showcasing opportunities
Our students gain insight and contacts
through regular events with blue-chip
employers. We also offer the opportunity to
enter national and international competitions
and win awards that can kick-start a career.
For more information, please visit: www.mdx.ac.uk/parents
4
7
Dates you need to know 2015
SummerThe undergraduate application system for courses starting
in autumn 2016 becomes available. This is called Apply.
Mid-September
THE UK
Entrepreneurial
University
of the Year
Applications can be submitted to UCAS.
15 October (18:00 UK time)Equal consideration deadline for applications to the universities
of Oxford and Cambridge and applications for most medicine,
dentistry, veterinary medicine and veterinary science courses.
2016
15 January (18:00 UK time)Equal consideration deadline for applications to all courses
except those listed in the UCAS search tool, search.ucas.com,
with a 15 October or 24 March deadline.
25 February
Extra opens.
Our students are thriving
with 9 out of 10 of our
graduates starting their
careers within six months.*
24 March (18:00 UK time)Equal consideration deadline for applications to art and design
courses, except those listed with a 15 January deadline.
pplications received after the above deadlines will still be
A
forwarded to universities, providing they have vacancies,
but they are not obliged to consider them.
We’ve a wide range of stimulating courses
which are recognised by industry, and many
are professionally accredited.
30 June (18:00 UK time)Last date for receipt of applications with up to five choices.
Applications received later are automatically entered into
Clearing and the applicant needs to contact the universities
direct to be considered for a course.
4 July (18:00 UK time)
To find out why, join us at an Open Day.
Visit anglia.ac.uk/opendays for dates.
Extra closes.
Early AugustSQA results are published and Scottish Clearing vacancy
information service starts.
*Graduates working or in further study (Destinations
of Leavers from Higher Education Institutions, 2012/13)
18 AugustGCE A level, Advanced Diploma and Pre-U results are published
and full Clearing information service starts.
20 September (18:00 UK time) Last receipt of applications through Apply.
There will be specified cut-off dates for replying to offers – details can be found on
www.ucas.com/whentoapply.
TIP:
Schools and colleges often set an earlier deadline so that they have
enough time to check the application and add the reference. Sometimes they
may need to return the application for your son or daughter to make changes
or add any missing information.
Times Higher Education
01245 68 68 68
Cambridge | Chelmsford | Peterborough
6
anglia.ac.uk/opendays
[email protected]
January 2015
Thinking about
their future
Get them to start thinking about what
they want to do after leaving school
or college.
Your son or daughter may have been talking
about what they want to do when they grow
up from a very young age. It’s now time to
take some action to turn their plans into
reality by thinking about what they’ll do
once they have left school or college.
There are so many options to choose
from, including going to university, getting
a job, taking a gap year or taking an
Apprenticeship. But before they make that
decision they need to think more about
their future by asking ‘what interests them so
much that they’d like to spend at least three
years learning more about it?’
March to May 2015
Research, research,
research
It’s not possible to know what they’ll be
doing in 10 or 20 years’ time. Think about
yourself when you left school and where you
are now – that sets the scene for your son
or daughter. At this stage the mission is to
equip themself with skills to follow a path
that they enjoy.
Once your son or daughter has decided what
they are interested in, it’s time for them to
look at which courses match their interests.
With over 35,000 courses available to choose
from, they’ll soon realise there is masses of
research to do – on occasions they may feel
they’ll never get it all done! But eventually
there will be enough information to decide
which courses they want to apply for. To help
them, they’ll need to go online as well as get
out and about.
I chose my degree simply because
I enjoyed the subject at school, was
good at it and the thought of studying
it for three years excited me.”
Get online
For more information and useful tips, go to
www.ucas.com/planning-your-future.
Your son or daughter can use our search
tool search.ucas.com to search for
courses at universities, colleges and
conservatoires. The search results give the
entry requirements, information on fees and
finances, and details of how and when to
apply for individual courses.
The answer could be something they do at
school, something they do in their own time
– or something they’ve never done before,
but like the sound of.
Search the university, college and
conservatoire websites for more in-depth
detail about their facilities and courses,
and look at their virtual tours at
www.ucas.com/virtual-tours.
TIP: Things your son or daughter can do to help them plan their future …
Get out and about
• U
CAS conventions give your son or
daughter a great opportunity to meet us in
person, and to talk to staff from universities,
colleges and other course providers, who
will be able to answer questions about
their courses and facilities. There will also
be professional bodies and commercial
companies that offer sponsored degrees.
Your son or daughter’s school may arrange
a visit – or you can go independently.
1. Write a list of things they are interested in.
2. Talk to as many people as they can to find out about their experiences of work.
3. Arrange some work experience to find out more about the subject in the workplace.
4. Try some part-time work at weekends or holidays.
5. Try some volunteering.
8
Why go to a UCAS convention? Well,
imagine visiting all the universities and
colleges that your son or daughter is
thinking of studying at – this could mean
travelling miles and miles around the
country; it would take weeks and cost a
lot in petrol or train fares. Well there’s no
need – you can visit a UCAS convention
where many universities exhibit with staff
available to answer your queries. And best
of all they are free to get in! There’s bound
to be one near you so go to www.ucas.
com/events/convention-exhibition to
find out what’s on.
...there’s nothing more important
than to choose a course which motivates
you to work harder and helps define you
as an individual.”
• University and college open days
and taster courses let you see inside a
university or college, and meet academic
staff and students who are already there.
Our search tool makes it really easy to look
for an open day at a university or college –
you can search by town, region, month
and year and the dates are listed in
calendar order – so there’s no excuse for
missing one! You can find out more about
open days here: www.ucas.com/events/
exploring-university/find-open-day.
Taster courses are usually tailored to specific
courses or subjects and often include
lectures and hands-on workshops. They can
be one day, over the weekend or a week,
and overnight stays are included. You can
search for taster courses on www.ucas.
com/taster-courses.
9
June to September 2015
Filling in their UCAS
application
UCAS Apply, for entry to university and
college in the autumn 2016, is available
on www.ucas.com in summer 2015. This
is the moment your son or daughter has
been waiting for – they can now start
their application. Before they start, take
a look at our short video about filling
in their application www.ucas.com/
fillinginyourapplication.
TIP: It’s vital that your son
or daughter remembers their log in
details and the answers to their security
questions. They’ll need them to log back
in throughout the year, especially on
results day.
Register first
The first step is to register. It’s free and takes
about 15 minutes to enter their basic details,
including name and address, and set up their
security information.
Once registered there are seven sections
that they need to complete.
1. Personal details. This will already have
all the information from when they
registered, although there will be some
other questions about student support
and residency.
June to September 2015
2. Additional information for UK applicants
only. This includes equality questions and
details about any preparation they’ve done
for higher education.
3. Student finance. Your son or daughter
can sign-up to receive an email from us
letting them know when applications for
student finance are open. Page 22 has
more information about student finance.
4. Choices. There’s room for up to five
course choices (four in medicine, dentistry
or veterinary science).
5. Education. Here they must list all the
schools they’ve been to since the age of
11, together with dates they were there,
all their exam results (pass or fail) and
any exams still to be taken.
When to apply
There are different deadlines depending
on the courses they’ve applied for – see the
key dates on page 6.
Once all the sections have been completed
and the reference added, your son or
daughter’s application will be complete.
It’s important that they take time to make
sure everything is just as they want it, but
they need to be aware of the deadline that
applies for their particular course.
• Applications cannot be submitted until:
– S
eptember 2015 when we are ready
to accept applications
– the application fee has been paid
6. Personal statement. This is their
opportunity to convince the university
and college to offer them a place. There’s
more information about writing their
personal statement on page 12.
7. Employment. If your son or daughter
has a part-time, Saturday or holiday job,
they should include the basic details.
They can talk more about this in their
personal statement.
• I f your son or daughter is applying from
their school or college, it will be the school
or college that submits their application.
Make sure your son or daughter knows
how their school or college will be paying
the application fee.
TIP:
Your son or daughter can enter information
at any time, saving as they go. They can go
back and edit it until everything is as they
want. It is a long process, but as long as they
start early there’s plenty of time.
Finally there’s a section for their
reference, which is added by their referee.
10
TIP:
In the personal details
section there’s a question called nominated
access where your son or daughter can
provide the details of anyone they want
to be able to contact us, or the universities
they have applied to, on their behalf. A
parent, guardian or adviser is ideal for this.
Just make sure you have their Personal ID
and can answer basic security questions
when you call.
Encourage your son
or daughter to give themself some
contingency time, just in case something
goes wrong at the last minute; no
internet access, credit card payment
failure, reference not added are just a
few of the reasons we often hear about
when applicants miss the deadline.
The UCAS Tariff is used by universities
and colleges to make broad comparisons
between qualifications used for entry
to higher education courses. Points
have been allocated to a wide range of
qualifications and these can be added
together, within certain rules, to achieve
a Tariff score.
We are introducing a new Tariff point
system for courses starting from
September 2017. Make sure your
son or daughter looks at the correct
one based on when they are applying:
• f or courses starting before
September 2017
www.ucas.com/tariff-tables.
• f or courses starting from
September 2017 www.ucas.com/
ucas/undergraduate/gettingstarted/entry-requirements/tariff/
new-tariff.
11
June to September 2015
Starting work on their
personal statement
Many applicants find writing their personal
statement the most difficult part. Starting
with a blank sheet and writing 4,000
characters about yourself is a bit scary!
Taking a positive approach, and enough
time to do a good job, it really can make
your son or daughter’s application stand
out from the competition.
Where to start?
Get them to:
• t hink about what is exciting about
themself and makes them stand out –
in a good way, in a positive way
• w
rite down words (masses of them!) that
come to mind – anything that shows why
they are really excited about the courses
they are applying for. Keep it positive
• r emember why they said ‘Wow – that’s
what I want to do!’ Was it when they read
an article, heard someone talking about
their work, or even somewhere they went?
• list supporting evidence to back up why
they are so excited about the courses they
have chosen; include work experience or
out of school activities
• t hink about their skills they can use on
the course; leadership, communication,
playing music, for example
• ask you and their friends for more ideas
January to March 2016
Once we get
their application
Pulling it together
Taking all the ideas and turning them into
their winning statement is the next step.
Make sure it has a structure:
First part – a punchy opening paragraph
showing their excitement and understanding
of what the course is all about.
Middle part – this is where the evidence to
support their interest for the course needs to
be. Relevant skills, work experience, inspirational
moments will all take their place here.
Final part – this is where they write about
themself, what they are interested in and
how well they will fit into life at university.
Closing paragraph – end with a concise
statement that leaves the reader with a clear
understanding of why the course is right
for your son or daughter, and why they are
perfect for the course.
1. W
e check that everything is OK and that the
personal statement has not been copied.
This takes up to 48 hours.
2. W
hen our checks are complete we send our
welcome email to your son or daughter.
This explains how to use our Track service
to check the progress of their application. It
also has their Personal ID which they’ll need
to log in. There’s a video about using Track
on www.ucas.com/trackyourapplication.
3. A
t the same time, the application is sent
to all the universities and colleges they
have applied to. At this stage none of the
universities will know where else they’ve
applied; so they’ll be considering the
application totally independently.
4. U
niversities and colleges will consider
their application.
5. W
henever they let us know about an
interview, audition, test or decision we’ll alert
your son or daughter by email – so they know
when to check their application in Track.
TIP: A good personal
statement...
• is relevant and focused; don’t waste the
4,000 characters – every one counts!
• uses clear, plain English
• avoids clichés – they’ve been used before!
• is original – don’t copy from another
personal statement – we will know
as our software scans all statements
for plagiarism
Types of decisions universities and
colleges can make
Receiving a conditional or unconditional offer,
or even both, is good news, but it’s important to
be clear about the difference and commitment
they are making if they accept one.
• A
conditional offer means your son or
daughter needs to meet some specified
requirements – usually exam results –
before the course starts, to secure the place.
If they accept a conditional offer as their
firm choice (see page 15) they are committed
to take up the place.
For more help and to find our personal
statement video go to www.ucas.com/
personalstatement.
Then all that is left to do is draft, redraft,
redraft …. until it’s right.
12
• A
n unconditional offer means they have a
guaranteed place if they accept it, as long as
they meet any non-academic conditions such
as a health or criminal record check, or financial
requirements. If they accept an unconditional
offer as their firm choice (see page 15) they are
committed to take up the place regardless of
what grades they get. If they are thinking of
accepting an unconditional offer they need to
remember that:
– t hey cannot have an insurance choice
(see page 15) or use Clearing (see page 21).
– their exam results won’t affect whether or
not they can start the course.
– a lthough their university place may not be
dependent on their grades, they may have
an impact on your son or daughter’s future
employment. Graduate employers often
consider school or college exam results
when reviewing job applications; so it’s
important to know this when they prepare
for their exams.
• Unsuccessful application means the
university has decided not to offer them a
place. Sometimes there’s a reason given; if
not they can contact the university to discuss
the reason. It may help later if they need to
choose other courses.
• Withdrawn application means that the choice
has been withdrawn either by your son or
daughter or by the university. If the university
has done this they’ll let them know why.
Once they have decisions for all their choices
they are ready to reply to them – see page 15.
13
January to March 2016
February to May 2016
Replying to offers
Completed application
submitted to UCAS
When a decision has been received for all
your son or daughter’s choices they’ll need
to reply to any offers they have. This is a very
important step in the process and they’ll
need to be absolutely sure they accept the
right offer, for the right reason. They’ll need
your support in making the decision.
We check everything is OK and
whether their personal statement
has been copied
We send a
welcome email to your
son or daughter
Universities and colleges
decide whether or not
to make an offer
Before they reply there are a few
things to do
• M
ake sure they understand the conditions
of their offers. If anything is not clear they
should contact the university or college
for clarification.
Universities and colleges
start to consider the
application
• V
isit the university or college – if they
haven’t already done so – to check it’s
somewhere they’d want to spend the next
three or four years. Will it be easy to get
there, what’s the accommodation like
for first year students and is a particular
sport on offer?
Universities and colleges may
invite your son or daughter for
interview or audition, ask them
to send a portfolio of art or
take an admissions test
• I f your son or daughter needs special
support, for example for a disability, then
discuss this with the university disability
officer so everything is in place when
they start the course.
• C
heck out the tuition fees for each course
– it’s important to know what they are
before accepting the offer.
• R
ank the offers in two ways; firstly based
on their personal favourites, and then in
terms of the difficulty the offers are to
achieve. And then compare the two lists.
Your son or daughter
can see decisions about
their choices when they
log in to Track
What are the options for replying?
They can accept an offer as their firm
or their insurance choice.
Firm choice
• F or a conditional offer, your son or
daughter will be guaranteed a place on
the course if they meet all the conditions
of the offer.
• I f their offer is unconditional, then the
place is theirs.
I n either case they are committed to that
course at that university; they cannot
look elsewhere.
TIP:
Your son or daughter must
reply to their offers online using Track –
make sure they know the deadline and
their log in details.
Insurance choice
This has the same commitment as a firm
choice but only comes into play if they don’t
meet the conditions of their firm choice –
it’s like a back-up or second chance to get
a place. So it makes sense for the insurance
choice to have less demanding conditions
than their firm choice.
There’s more information and a video on
our website about replying to offers:
www.ucas.com/replies.
By doing this it’ll be easier to decide which
offers they want to accept and which
they don’t.
14
15
February 2016
Extra opens
Despite all the careful research choosing the
right courses, sometimes it doesn’t always
work out as expected. Competition can be
really high for some courses which can mean
that even the best students don’t always
get the offers they’d hoped for. On the other
hand, they may receive a selection of offers
for courses that they now decide they’re not
interested in. So they think of turning them
down – but what’s the alternative?
It’s Extra!
Extra is an opportunity for your son or
daughter to look for another course –
even a different subject at a different
university – without waiting for Clearing
(see page 21). But there are some rules to
follow to be eligible for Extra.
• All five choices must have been used.
• Y
our son or daughter either has no offers,
or has declined any offers they received.
Extra opens on 25 February 2016 and
closes on 4 July 2016. For more details
go to www.ucas.com/extra.
16
STUDY WITH
A TOP TEN
MODERN *
UNIVERSITY
www.plymouth.ac.uk
June to August 2016
Preparing for results
Results are usually announced in the
summer before the start of the university
term. With this in mind, it’s worth spending
some time considering what to do if they
don’t get the results they’re expecting.
Having a well thought out ‘what if’ plan
in place beforehand, covering as many
eventualities as possible, will save time later.
It will also reduce the risk of making quick,
badly thought out decisions that they
may regret.
So what if they don’t get the grades they
were expecting? What are the alternatives?
• T
he university might still accept them –
but there’s no guarantee and depends
on how far below the offer the results
are and how other students have done
in their exams.
• T
hey may offer them a place on an
alternative course or year of entry.
Before accepting this they need to find
out more about it and maybe even pay
a visit there. They must be really certain
it’s right for them.
– T
ake a gap year – learn to manage new
independence and great for a CV.
– E arn and learn with a job – some
employers have school leaver
programmes and could even send your
son or daughter to university while
being paid at the same time.
TIP:
Ensure your son or
daughter’s contact details are up-to-date
– including their address, email and
mobile phone number.
What if there’s some really good news
when the results are announced; they
achieve even better grades than anticipated
and much higher than the conditions of
their offer – see page 21 for details about
Adjustment. But for now have a plan for
what your son or daughter would do if
this happens.
• T
hey may not accept them – so a rethink
is needed. Here are some of the options.
– L ook for a different course using
Clearing – see page 21.
– R
etake exams and reapply next
year – some universities will want
higher grades from resit students.
– D
o an apprenticeship or traineeship
– go to www.ucas.com/ucas/
undergraduate/getting-started/
alternatives-higher-education.
@PlymUniApply
/PlymUniApply
*2014 Times Higher Education 100 Under 50
Matthew, BSc (Hons) Environmental Science
19
July to August 2016
Exam results
Getting their results
The big day has arrived. We don’t give your
son or daughter their results, they come from
the exam board – either via their school
(they may need to go back to collect them),
by post, or online.
Check whether your son or daughter
needs to send any results to their firm and
insurance choice. If so, they need to do
this as soon as their results are available.
For example, we don’t process GCSE or
Scottish National 4 results. They can check
which results we receive at: www.ucas.com/
sending-exam-results.
TIP: Try to be there when
they get their results, so you can share
in their excitement or support them if
the news isn’t good.
July to August 2016
Clearing and Adjustment
Finding out if they have a place at
university or college
• We receive exam results for a large
number of different qualifications, match
them to individual applicants and then
make them available to the universities
that are holding firm and insurance places.
TIP:
Clearing and Adjustment are options to use
when exam results aren’t what was expected;
but they are used in different situations.
Clearing is a chance for students to look for
a place if they don’t have one. It’s also the
final chance for universities and colleges to
fill any places they still have available.
To look for a course in Clearing your son or
daughter must first be eligible. This means
that either:
While we are processing
Scottish and A level results, there is restricted
access to Track. Details of when it will be
available will be shown on our website from
the end of July. Full access to Track returns
on the morning of Scottish and A level
results days.
• they have no offers
• t heir firm or insurance universities
have made them unsuccessful
• The universities then check the offer
details and confirm places where the
conditions have been met. They may also
confirm places – at their discretion – if the
conditions have not been met.
• If the university has confirmed the place
this will be shown clearly in Track.
• t hey applied after 30 June 2016
– see page 6
TIP:
If your son or daughter
only paid for one choice, they will need
to pay an additional £11 to apply for a
course in Clearing. They can do this online
using Track.
Clearing officially starts in early July.
However, students must have all their
exam results to be able to use it; so for the
majority of students they will use Clearing
in August. For more information go to
www.ucas.com/clearing.
20
Adjustment
When the results arrive, and they turn out
to be better than expected – in fact your
son or daughter’s results have met and
exceeded the conditions of their firm choice,
they might want to think about Adjustment
to secure an alternative course.
Adjustment is available between 18 and
31 August 2016. However there is a time
restriction applied; they have five days from
the day the university confirms their place
or from 18 August, whichever is the later.
For more information go to www.ucas.com/
adjustment.
But I am, if nothing else, determined.
I had set my mind on going to university.
If I couldn’t study acting, then I would
try my other love; which was writing. So,
using UCAS’ Clearing system, I applied to
three universities and was delighted to be
offered a place at all of them.”
21
Student finance
One of the questions often asked about
going to university or college is ‘What is it
going to cost?’. Parents sometimes wonder
whether it’s worth it, especially if they think
that they will be responsible for any loans
their son or daughter has during the course –
on this last point, any loan will be paid back
by your son or daughter, not you.
The student finance arrangements for
students living in the UK depend not only on
where they live, but also on where they are
going to study. In general, the packages are
a mixture of repayable, non-repayable, and
means tested and non-means tested loans
and grants.
What do they need to pay for?
• T
uition fees – up to £9,000 per year for
students in the UK and EU. Universities
can set their own fees for students
from outside the EU. Our search tool
search.ucas.com lists the tuition fees on
the Fees & finances tab for each course.
• M
aintenance loans and grants –
these cover the living costs, such as
accommodation, food and travel while
they are studying. If the course is in London
they’ll receive more to cover the higher
cost of living, and if they live at home while
studying, they may receive less.
• S pecial support grants – these are
additional payments made in specific
situations. They may be paid, for example,
if they are in receipt of income support or
housing benefit, or are a lone parent.
Where can they go for funding?
It depends on where they live in the UK:
England www.gov.uk/studentfinancesteps
Northern Ireland www.studentfinanceni.co.uk
Scotland www.saas.gov.uk
Wales w
ww.studentfinancewales.co.uk
www.cyllidmyfyrwyrcymru.co.uk
When do they need to apply?
When will they receive the finance?
They should apply as soon as possible. The
different funding organisations will open
their applications for new students starting
university in 2016 as follows:
Students from England, Northern Ireland
and Wales are paid over three instalments at
the start of each term. Scottish students are
paid weekly during term time.
• f or England, Northern Ireland and Wales
it’s in the spring of 2016
Repayments – how much will it cost?
• for Scotland it’s early April to the end
of June 2016
TIP: Ensure your son or daughter
There are also other sources of funding
that are definitely worth exploring. Many
universities offer scholarships, so check out
their websites or the online scholarship
website www.scholarship-search.org.uk
applies for student finance before their
exam results are announced and their place
confirmed – they will then have the money
in place when the term starts.
Funding for specific subjects
How do they apply?
Not all courses are funded by the student
finance organisations. The NHS, for example,
provides non-means tested bursaries for
courses leading to a number of healthcare
and social work professions. For information
go to www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk and click on
students.
It’s online – so there are no paper forms to
fill in. Once they’ve set up a student finance
account they can complete their student
finance application.
Many universities have additional funding
they can allocate at their discretion if things
get tough; they can also offer help with
managing money.
• T
hey’ll need the university and course
details (can be changed later), an identity
document (passport or birth certificate),
their bank account details and their
national insurance number to hand.
• T
here’s a section for you to complete to
support the application; this includes
details of earned and unearned income,
as well as any other dependent children.
• D
ocumentary evidence may also be
requested – it’s best to send these
promptly so as not to delay the
application. All original documents will be
returned within four weeks.
TIP: Your son or daughter
may wish to consider getting a part-time
job to supplement their finances.
• Y
our son or daughter will only start
repaying their student loan when they
have left university or college, and are
earning over the income threshold.
• T
he amount they will pay back each
month is dependent on how much
they’re earning.
– In England and Wales the repayment
threshold is currently £21,000.
– In Northern Ireland and Scotland the
repayment threshold is £17,335.
– The loan is written off after 30 years
(35 years in Scotland).
For more details and to watch our video
about student finance, go to www.ucas.
com/startingstudies.
University does cost money
and you have to work hard to get the
rewards, but in all of this there are an
endless amount of rewards that will
make you realise that the debt doesn’t
compare to the breathtaking roller
coaster that you are immersed in.
Go to university and see for yourself.”
• O
nce the application has been submitted
and approved your son or daughter will
be sent a loan declaration, containing the
details of the funding they will receive,
which they must sign and return.
• E xtra support is also available for students
with disabilities, those who are in care and
for those with children or dependents.
22
23
Considering music, dance or drama?
Considering teaching?
If your son or daughter is thinking of a
career in music, dance or drama, either as a
professional performer or in the performing
arts arena, they have two options: UCAS
Conservatoires and UCAS Undergraduate.
Both universities and conservatoires offer
bachelor’s degrees, so wanting a degree isn’t
a reason to base their decision.
If your son or daughter is considering
a career as a teacher they need Initial Teacher
Education or Training (ITET) based at a
university, school or college in the UK. There
are two routes they can follow to achieve
this; undergraduate and postgraduate.
TIP: If your son or daughter
is not sure which type of course suits
them, they can apply through UCAS
Apply and UCAS Conservatoire Apply. If
they get a place in both we’ll ask them
to decide which they want to take up.
Study at a conservatoire
• A
conservatoire is a college that specialises
in the study of music, dance and drama,
but also includes academic studies.
• I f your son or daughter’s interests are
focused on a practical discipline such
as instrumental or vocal performance,
dance or drama, they may favour a
conservatoire.
• T
o study at a conservatoire from autumn
2016, your son or daughter will need to
apply through the UCAS Conservatoires
scheme at www.ucas.com/ucas/
conservatoires/apply-and-track, which
becomes available in summer 2015.
TIP: Check whether there are
any audition fees which need to be paid.
The prospect of my future in
music exhilarates me.”
• The equal consideration deadlines for
submitting applications are:
Undergraduate
– 1 October 2015 (18:00 UK time)
for music courses
• Your son or daughter can be trained as
a teacher while taking their degree.
– 15 January 2016 (18:00 UK time)
for most dance, drama and screen
production courses. There are some
exceptions so check the conservatoire
websites
• Courses vary depending on where they
study, but they will receive Qualified
Teacher Status (QTS) at the end, as well
as their degree.
• For more information and advice
about applying to and studying at a
conservatoire, go to www.ucas.com/
conservatoires.
• To apply for an undergraduate degree
in teaching, your son or daughter should
apply through the UCAS Undergraduate
scheme.
What I love about my job is
telling stories. Whether it’s on camera
or stage, through song or a puppet, my
interest is in how the sharing of our life
experiences and emotions can better
our understanding of our own lives.”
If I have one thing that I wish
all pupils I teach to remember is
that our existence on the Earth is
fleeting but the knowledge we gain,
build and pass on is forever eternal.
Remember this and watch yourself
grow into something you could have
never imagined before. Learning has
no ceiling, inspiration can never be
contained: embrace it.”
Study at a university or college
• If your son or daughter’s interest is more
as an intellectual academic discipline,
such as history of music, a university
might be the best route for them.
• A
s long as they pass their degree with the
right classification, they will be eligible
to apply for a one-year postgraduate
teaching course leading to QTS. Many
courses also award a Postgraduate or
Professional Graduate Certificate in
Education (PGCE).
• I f your son or daughter wishes to apply
for a postgraduate teaching degree
course in England or Wales they should
apply through the UCAS Teacher Training
scheme. To apply for programmes in
Scotland, they need to apply through the
UCAS Undergraduate scheme.
• w
ww.ucas.com/ucas/teacher-training/
getting-started contains information
about what they need to do, and they can
also sign up to receive our free information
pack, which will help them navigate their
way through the postgraduate teacher
training application process.
Postgraduate
• Many universities offer performancebased courses.
• To study at a university or college your son
or daughter needs to apply through the
UCAS Undergraduate scheme.
24
• Your son or daughter would have already
studied for an undergraduate degree,
although it doesn’t have to be the specific
subject they want to teach.
25
Getting help online
There are a number of ways that you and
your son or daughter can get help from us
online – go to www.ucas.com/contactus
where you’ll find video guides, links to Twitter
and Facebook, and blogs from other parents
going through the same experience as you.
www.twitter.com/ucas_online
Why students love learning
Specialist information
You may also find these other websites useful:
Careers advice
National Careers Service for England
https://nationalcareersservice.direct.gov.uk
Careers Service Northern Ireland
www.nidirect.gov.uk/careers
Skills Development Scotland
www.myworldofwork.co.uk
www.facebook.com/ucasonline
www.youtube.com/ucasonline
plus.google.com/
+Ucasonlineofficial/posts
Careers Wales
www.careerswales.com
Last year, undergraduate students at university and college in the UK were invited to tell
us why they love learning – in either a 500 word essay or a 30 second video. We ran the
Love Learning competition in conjunction with The Times and over 2,500 students entered.
Here’s what some of them told us:
I am barely the same person who anxiously filled out the UCAS application years
ago. I have not only grappled with some pretty astonishing science, but somewhere
along the way I’ve grown up. That’s what happens when you meet people from cultures
you didn’t know existed, talk to people who think in different ways, and interact with a
whole world of people that lead rich and fascinating lives.”
Conservatoires UK
www.conservatoiresuk.ac.uk
Get into teaching
www.education.gov.uk/get-into-teaching
Students with disabilities
Disability Rights UK
www.disabilityrightsuk.org
Studying at university, irrespective of what degree you choose, teaches
you more than mere information on your chosen subject. It teaches you to look
beyond the surface of whatever confronts you, and consider the unconsidered.”
Disabled Students’ Allowances
www.gov.uk/disabled-students-allowances-dsas
Gap years
You can also call us on 0371 468 0 468,
Monday to Friday 08:30 - 18:00 (UK time)
gap-year.com
www.gap-year.com
The Year Out Group
www.yearoutgroup.org
TIP: If your son or daughter
is currently living outside of the UK
you might find our ‘International
undergraduate guide for parents’ a useful
resource to read. You can view the guide
at www.ucas.com/internationalguides
University has helped me to grow and mature. And to
my joy, I’ve done this at the same time that I’ve learned more
and more about a subject that has always captivated me.”
General higher education advice
Unistats
http://unistats.direct.gov.uk
National Union of Students
www.nus.org.uk
Read the winning essay and watch the four
winning videos at www.ucas.com/lovelearning
Funding
See page 22 for details of the different
funding organisations.
26
27
A handy checklist
Do you know your Tariff
Points from your UCAS Codes?
Your Firm choice from your Insurance?
Register for our monthly parents’
e-newsletter – it’s free and will remind
you about the key things your son or
daughter needs to do throughout the
application process. www.ucas.com/
parentform.
ParentSpace can help you.
Familiarise yourself with our website –
www.ucas.com has all the information
you and your son or daughter will need
at every stage.
ParentSpace is designed
to help you survive the
university application
process.
Arrange to take your son or daughter
to university and college open days
www.ucas.com/open-days.
Know what date your son or daughter
needs to submit their application –
www.ucas.com/whentoapply.
We have tips on how to get
the most out of Open Days
and how to balance the
cost of university.
Know when their reply deadlines are –
these will vary depending on what courses
they’ve applied for and when they have
received a decision for each choice.
Understand what student finance
support is available for your son
or daughter (see page 22).
We even have interviews
with parents and a jargon
buster to help you keep
up with all the
terminology.
Ensure your son or daughter is at
home when their results are due.
144747/ UPG2016
Understand how Extra, Clearing
and Adjustment work (see pages
16 and 21).
To sign up for your FREE copy,
visit www.southwales.ac.uk/parents
or call our Parents’ Hotline on 03455 760 996.
The University of South Wales is a registered charity. Registration No. 1140312
28
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